Sonex First Flight: Doug McLean
08-30-12

Congratulations to Doug McLean of Duffy, ACT, Australia whose standard gear, Jabiru 2200 powered Sonex (S/N 835) flew for the first time on August 13th! "A big thanks to everyone at Sonex and Sonextalk who have responded to my posts and emails over the years," writes Doug, "also Jim, Stuart and all the other builders at SonexAus, thanks." Gold Wings are on the way to Doug!

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Sonex First Flight: Doron Mishor
08-30-12

Congratulations to Doron Mishor of Tel-Mond, Israel whose standard gear, Jabiru 3300 powered Sonex (S/N 1038) flew for the first time on August 10th! "I am very proud to let you know that 4X-ODM is the first Sonex airplane built and flown in Israel," writes Doron. "...the airplane flew great and the Jabiru 3300 engine ran flawlessly. It was a very rewarding flight. Thanks to Sonex for providing a wonderful airplane and to all the people who helped along the way, I am looking forward to many hours of fun flying!" Gold Wings are on the way to Doron!

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Aaron Knight Featured in Flying Magazine Blog
08-29-12

Sonex builder Aaron Knight (Sonex S/N 1024) is featured in a new article posted to the Flying magazine web site! The article is the newest installment in the "Perspectives on Homebuilding" series sponsored by Aircraft Spruce. The in-depth article tells the story of Aaron's decision to build a Sonex, his experiences building the aircraft with his three children, and his flight experience in his Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Sonex.

Aaron's Sonex flight experiences are well-documented, as the builder/pilot has created several entertaining videos of the long cross-country vacation trips he has taken with his children through the years to destinations such as the Bahamas, as well as some of his aerobatic flights. You can see several of Aaron's videos on our Sonex Flying Stories page.

Read More Articles about Sonex Aircraft & AeroConversions Products!

Sonex First Flight: Dale Williams
08-29-12

Congratulations to Dale Williams of Moncks Corner, South Carolina whose standard gear Sonex (S/N 1319) flew for the first time on August 18th! "She was so gentle with me. Never ever making a move without my asking, never tugging to go anywhere I hadn't indicated, building my confidence and telling me, 'I've got you, it's OK, you can trust me.'" writes Dale. "There are too many to thank so I won't get into the list of folks that I owe a great deal of gratitude to. Needless to say the Sonex community and the Sonex company are tremendous in every way!" Gold Wings are on the way to Dale!

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Sonex First Flight: David Clay
08-27-12

Congratulations to David Clay of Temple, Texas whose VW powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 1095) flew for the first time on August 25th! "Building my Sonex has been one of the most rewarding endeavors I have ever undertaken," writes David. "My wife had a special cake made to commemerate my accomplishment. Mike Singleton (Sonex 465) was the test pilot. An outstanding set of plans, great tech support, and a supportive Sonex community all contributed to the successful completion of this project. I'm looking forward to many hours of fun and adventure in this wonderful little airplane." Gold Wings are on the way to David!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Waiex First Flight: Doug Boyd
08-27-12

Congratulations to Doug Boyd of Marshalltown, Iowa whose Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Waiex (S/N W0080) flew for the first time on August 17th! "What a thrill! I'm still grinning!" writes Doug. "Many people deserve my thanks, my long suffering wife who put up with what she calls my "mistress" for so long (at least she always knew where I was), many GREAT EAA Chapter friends, especially fellow Waiex builder Lorin Miller, and Scott Scheetz and Larry Vande Voort who honed my very old tail-dragger skills. And, Jim Robinson who taught me that I CAN build an airplane." Gold Wings are on the way to Doug!

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Sonex First Flight: James Neely
08-27-12

Congratulations to James Neely of Essex, Ontario, Canada whose Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 324) flew for the first time on August 17th! "Uneventful first flight," writes James. "I made one circuit of the airport, then landed and put her away for the night. A very nice handling aircraft." Gold Wings are on the way to James!

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Sonex First Flight: Ken Kennedy
08-27-12

Congratulations to Ken Kennedy and son Riley of Lubbock, Texas whose Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 355) flew for the first time on August 17th! "The airplane flies like a dream, and the performance with the Jabiru 3300 is awesome," writes Riley and Ken. "A big thanks to every one at Sonex aircraft for answering all of our questions, and not laughing at all of the dumb questions we asked. We also greatly appreciate the fast and efficient customer service on all of our orders." Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Space Still Availaible for the Oct 6-7, 2012 Sonex Builder's Workshop: You're Invited!
08-23-12

Space is still available for our Fall Sonex Builder's Workshop scheduled for Oct 6-7, 2012 here at the Sonex factory in Oshkosh. The $200 registration fee is available for credit toward your plans or kit purchase. A number of kit discounts are also available only for workshop attendees. Don't miss your chance to save a tremendous amount of money and time with these workshop discount opportunities.

Beat the Rush: Buy Now!
Note that there is no penalty for purchasing plans and/or kits in advance of the workshop. You receive the same discounts at the end of the workshop and you'll be first in line ahead of what we expect will be a strong list of post-workshop kit and engine orders.

Sign-Up for the Workshop Today!

See a Report from a recent Workshop!

Happy Birthday Wayne Andrews!
08-18-12

Wayne in his NASCAR days...

(L to R) Tony Lewis, Jeremy Monnett, Betty Monnett, Wayne Andrews & John Monnett at Sun 'n Fun 2012.

Sonex Aircraft, LLC would like to join North Carolina area Sonex builders and enthusiasts in wishing Wayne Andrews, builder of Sonex S/N 35, a happy birthday today! The local group of builders are throwing a surprise party for Wayne this afternoon to celebrate!

An early Sonex builder, Wayne has flown his Sonex to more Oshkosh and Sun 'n Fun fly-in events than any other. More than just a customer, Wayne has been a great friend to the Sonex staff and builder community.

A little-known fact about Wayne is that he was a star in the early days of the NASCAR racing circuit, and was awarded "Rookie of the Year" in 1969. Be sure to click on the NASCAR postcard picture at-right to get a larger view and to see the write-up on the back.

Happy Birthday Wayne!

New DVDs Available From Sonex Aircraft!
08-16-12

Sonex Aircraft is pleased to announce two new DVD video productions! The first is a newly-revised edition of "The Sonex Story" for 2012, with an outstanding new chapter featuring the Onex Single-Place, Folding-Wing Sport Aircraft. "The Sonex Story" DVD 2012 edition is sold for $10 at the Sonex Web Store, and is also included in the Sonex Aircraft Complete Info Pack.

The second DVD, "Flying the SubSonex JSX-1", is an action-packed video featuring flight footage of the SubSonex JSX-1 proof-of-concept prototype. Running approximately 14 minutes in length, "Flying the SubSonex JSX-1" features in-cockpit, air-to-air, and ground-to-air footage of the JSX-1 flight test program. "Flying the SubSonex JSX-1" is available at the Sonex Web Store for $5.

Read More about the SubSonex Jet Project!

Shop for More Sonex Aircraft Info and DVD's!

Sonex First Flight: Doug Raby
08-10-12

Congratulations to Doug Raby of Ajax, Ontario, Canada whose AeroVee powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 1189) flew for the first time on August 3rd! "The flight went as planned and the plane performed beautifully," writes Doug. "What a rare thrill it is, to fly the airplane that you have built. Many thanks to friends and neighbours, and Kerry and Jeremy at Sonex for the support and encouragement. And a special thanks to John Davis and all my good friends at the American Sonex Association for inspiring me to get this project finished." Gold Wings are on the way to Doug!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Sonex First Flight: Michael Dupree
08-10-12

Congratulations to Michael Dupree of Lacombe, Iowa whose Jabiru 3300 powered, tri-gear Sonex (S/N 1149) flew for the first time on August 1st! "The flight was very smooth. I never thought a plane could fly so well," writes Mike. "To Sonex: you have designed a wonderful airplane, to Kerry [Sonex Technical Support] and all the folks at Sonex: thank you for all the advice given me over the years." Mike also expressed thanks to his EAA Technical Counselors Burl Nelson and Mickey Wittenburg, as well as to his wife, family and flying friends. "Again to all, THANK YOU, THANK YOU and THANK YOU." Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Sonex First Flight: Paul Askew
08-10-12

Congratulations to Paul Askew of Slyne Lancaster, United Kingdom whose VW powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 1176) flew for the first time on July 27th! "I have called her Mya rose after my grand daughter," writes Paul. "She first flew on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony." Gold Wings are on the way to Paul!

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AirVenture 2012 Another Hugely Successful
Show for Sonex Aircraft, LLC!
08-03-12

Sonex Aircraft had another outstanding week exhibiting at the 2012 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention held July 23rd through 29th! The festivities kicked-off on Sunday, July 22nd with the 9th annual Sonex Aircraft Open House and Homecoming Fly-In. Several customer aircraft arrived at the Sonex factory for the event, and we had well-over 200 attendees throughout the day. In the afternoon, customer and factory aircraft lined-up for the mass taxi to AirVenture convention grounds to be parked in the homebuilt parking area adjacent to the Sonex display booth. Throughout the week, a total of 16 customer-built Sonex aircraft were flown-in to the convention!

Builders were again invited to the Sonex factory on Monday evening, July 23rd for the Sonex Hangar Party. Music, refreshments, and good times were had by all.

Throughout the week, Sonex enjoyed great traffic through our display booth at AirVenture with visits from many current and future Sonex Aircraft builders. The Onex single-place aircraft is the cover story for the August issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, and the two Onex factory prototypes attracted a tremendous amount of attention in the booth again this year! Customers were again able to see a Onex fuselage cleco'd together from kit parts as a prominent display in our booth as we announced the addition of the new Matched-Hole Formed Parts Kit to Sonex and Waiex Complete Airframe Kits and Sub-Kits, adding the same matched-hole technology available in the Onex to the hugely popular Sonex and Waiex kit products.

JSX-1, the proof-of-concept SubSonex jet prototype, caught the attention of AirVenture crowds with flight demonstrations during the pre-airshow showcase on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday during AirVenture. Our special thanks goes-out to airshow performer Bob Carlton, our primary test pilot for JSX-1, for flying the SubSonex during the show!

Sonex Aircraft, LLC was proud to host the inaugural meeting of the Aircraft Kit Industry Association (AKIA) on Wednesday. Comprised of kit aircraft manufacturers such as Sonex Aircraft and our competitors, as well as businesses such as Wicks Aircraft Supply and Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, AKIA's mission is to represent aircraft kit manufacturers, designers, suppliers and supporters with a unified voice in the promotion and safety of the Aircraft Kit industry. Although the new association's founding members have had many meetings via teleconference over the past few months, Wednesday evening's meeting was the first face-to-face gathering of AKIA's membership. You can read more about AKIA in an article on Aircraft Spruce & Specialty's "Perspectives on Homebuilding" web site.

Congratulations go to Sonex builder David Weber, whose Sonex SN# 318 won an award for Outstanding Workmanship in a Plans Built Aircraft! David flew to AirVenture 2012 with his son all the way from their home base in Snohomish, Washington.

Many potential builders brought home free Sonex literature & DVD's and attended the Sonex factory tours offered daily during the show. Sonex forums were also well-attended during AirVenture this year, covering all aspects of current and future Sonex and AeroConversions products. The E-Flight electric powered Waiex was again on display in EAA's Innovation Center at AirVenture, and continued to attract much interest.

A new "hangar" structure debuted in the Sonex Aircraft booth this year, replacing our traditional tent. Designed for better protection in the inevitable AirVenture thunder storms, the new Sonex hangar was put to the test in a small, but extremely powerful storm that hit AirVenture grounds on Thursday, making Sonex staff and booth visitors grateful for the improved shelter.

Our special thanks goes-out to all Sonex pilots who flew their aircraft to Oshkosh this year, as well as to all current and prospective builders who attended our events and visited us in our booth, making this another great AirVenture for Sonex Aircraft, LLC!

Open House attendees had the chance to see the entire Sonex facility meet Sonex builders and staff, and pore of customer and factory-built aircraft.	A total of 16 customer Sonex aircraft were on-display at AirVenture, with many of them arriving on Sunday for our Open House and Homecoming Fly-In.
The SubSonex JSX-1 prototype leads factory prototype and customer aircraft in Sunday afternoon's traditional "mass taxi arrival" from our Open House event to the AirVenture show grounds.	The SubSonex wow's AirVenture crowds with flight demonstrations in the pre-airshow showcase presentations on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
AKIA president Dick VanGrunsven addresses the group at the new association's inaugural meeting held on Wednesday at Sonex.	The new Sonex "hangar" structure worked-out very nicely at AirVenture, providing a great base of operations for the show, and a great storm shelter too!
The Onex continued to draw a great-deal of attention at AirVenture again this year, aided by cover story status in the August issue of Sport Aviation.	David Weber of Snohomish, WA prepares to fly home with his son after being awarded a plaque for Outstanding Workmanship in a Plans Built Aircraft by AirVenture judges.

AirVenture is Underway: Hope to See You Here!
07-22-12

Sonex Aircraft events for AirVenture 2012 have begun! We had a very successful Open House and Homecoming Fly-In today at our factory with great weather, and a great turn-out.

A reminder that our Technial Support, Sales and Management staff will be occupied with the show all week, and will be unavailable over the phone. We will be checking email in the evenings, however, and we will do our best to get back to the most urgent requests during the week of AirVenture. Our phone lines will be open and we will be accepting and shipping orders this week with limited Customer Service and Warehouse staff.

We hope to see you at the Sonex AirVenture Booth!

Read More about Sonex Events at AirVenture 2012!

Sonex First Flight: David Amsler
07-22-12

Congratulations to David Amsler of Franklinville, New York whose Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 1327) flew for the first time on July 12th! "So far, flys as advertised," writes David. "Special thanks to Kerry [Sonex Tech Support] for all the time spent answering e-mails." Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Sonex First Flight: Tor Rene Stryger
07-22-12

Congratulations to Tor Rene Stryger of Saltnes, Norway whose Jabiru 3300 powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 180) flew for the first time on July 15th! "Everything went as it was supposed to," writes Tor Rene. "Straight and level, and all temps in the green." Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

New Parts Added to Sonex and Waiex Kits
to Reduce Your Build Time!
07-19-12

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is excited to announce the addition of new pre-fabricated parts to the popular Sonex and Waiex kit models, making the airframe easier and faster to build than ever before! Pioneered by the recently-introduced Onex Single-Place Aircraft Kit, Sonex and Waiex Complete Airframe Kits and Sub-Kits now feature Matched-Hole Formed Parts. Adding approximately 115 new parts to each model’s kit package, the Matched-Hole Formed Parts kit consists of channels, angles and clips that would traditionally have been made by the builder from pre-formed sheet aluminum blanks provided in earlier Sonex Aircraft kits. With matched pilot holes provided, these new kit parts not only reduce fabrication work for the builder, they also reduce build time and increase build accuracy by cleco’ing to existing kit parts right out of the box! Builders can further decrease build time with the addition of the optional Machined Angle Component kit upgrade, making tail, fuselage and portions of the wing assembly fit together in almost no time.

With parts availability beginning in September of this year, the Matched-Hole Formed Parts Kit will become a standard feature in all new Sonex and Waiex kits ordered after August 17th under new pricing: $14,995 base price for the Sonex Complete Airframe Kit, $15,495 for Waiex. Those wishing to secure today’s pricing without these new kit features must submit their orders by August 17th. If you’d like to be first in-line with an order for the new Matched-Hole Formed Parts, our Complete Airframe Kit order form and Sub-Kit order form will temporarily include these parts as optional upgrades ($500 upgrade price for Complete Airframe Kits) until new pricing takes effect.

Existing builders will also have the opportunity to upgrade their kits with the separate purchase of the Matched-Hole Formed Parts Kit, or by purchasing individual parts from the kit as needed. A full parts list, pricing and details of availability will be coming soon!

Sonex Events at AirVenture: SubSonex Jet Prototype to Fly in AirVenture Showcase
07-19-12

Sonex Aircraft, LLC is pleased to announce that JSX-1, the #1 proof-of-concept prototype of the SubSonex very, very light jet will be flying during the Showcase presentation at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012! The SubSonex is currently scheduled to fly a 5-minute demonstration in three of the week’s pre-air show showcases: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The AirVenture showcase takes place between approximately 2:30 and 3:30 pm each day, just prior to the air show. Read Today's Press Release!

JSX-1 will be piloted by famed air show performer Bob Carlton. Carlton has flown much of the JSX-1’s flight test program for Sonex Aircraft, LLC and is known for his Super Salto jet powered glider act, also appearing at AirVenture 2012.

Learn More about the SubSonex Jet!

Read More about Sonex Events at AirVenture 2012!

Sonex Events at AirVenture:
Sign-Up Now for Sonex Factory Tours!
07-11-12

Sonex Aircraft will be conducting factory tours during AirVenture at 11:15am, Monday July 23rd through Friday, Saturday 28th. A maximum of 14 AirVenture attendees can be shuttled from our booth space on AirVenture grounds to our facility on the East side of Wittman Regional Airport for each day's tour, with transportation back to AirVenture grounds after the tour. Sign-up now to reserve your spot by emailing: orders@sonexaircraft.com. Signups will also be accepted at our AirVenture booth as space allows.

There is an unlimited amount of space available for tour participants wishing to drive directly to our facility for the 11:15 tour (See our map for directions), but please be sure to email orders@sonexaircraft.com or give us a call to RSVP and receive your airport gate access code.

Read More about Sonex Events at AirVenture 2012!

EAA Releases Onex Flying Video!
07-10-12

EAA has just released an outstanding new video featuring the Onex! The video includes some great flying footage as Chad Jensen, EAA's Homebuilders Community Manager, talks about the flying characteristics of the aircraft. Chad also gives a tour of the Onex folding wing design. Look for the August issue of Sport Aviation magazine to hit mailboxes soon, as EAA continues it's Onex coverage with a major feature story, also written by Chad Jensen, and beautifully illustrated by photography from Jim Koepnick!

Learn More About the Onex!

Onex First Flight: Dan Wright
07-09-12

Congratulations to Dan Wright of Spring Hill, Florida whose Jabiru 2200 powered, standard gear Onex (S/N ONX0064) flew for the first time on July 5th! "I was impressed with how much more responsive the controls are than the Sonex," writes Dan. Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Sonex First Flight: Martin Deysel
07-09-12

Congratulations to Martin Deysel of Bloemfontein, South Africa whose AeroVee powered, tricycle gear Sonex (S/N 998) flew for the first time on May 19th! Gold Wings are on the way to Martin!

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Sonex First Flight: Ken Flaglor
07-09-12

Congratulations to Ken Flaglor of Salem, Wisconsin whose AeroVee powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 972) flew for the first time on May 10th! Gold Wings are on the way!

View the Latest Sonex Aircraft Completions

Sonex Builder News: Gary Motley Wins Grand Champion at Jeffco Rocky Mountain Fly-In!
07-03-12

Sonex Aircraft, LLC would like to Congratulate Gary Motley of Westminster, Colorado who won the Grand Champion, Homebuilt Class (Kit) award at the 17th Annual Jeffco Aviation Association Fly-In, held on June 30th at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, with his AeroVee powered, standard gear Sonex (S/N 1155)!